Revelation 13
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
Revelation chapter 13 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
5 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Victorinus of Pettau.
Revelation 13
1Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads blasphemous names.Καὶ ἐστάθην ἐπὶ τὴν ἄμμον τῆς θαλάσσης. καὶ εἶδον ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης θηρίον ἀναβαῖνον, ἔχον κέρατα δέκα καὶ κεφαλὰς ἑπτά, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κεράτων αὐτοῦ δέκα διαδήματα, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτοῦ ὀνόματα βλασφημίας—
2And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.καὶ τὸ θηρίον ὃ εἶδον ἦν ὅμοιον παρδάλει, καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὡς ἄρκου, καὶ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ὡς στόμα λέοντος· καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ δράκων τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξουσίαν μεγάλην—
3And one of his heads was as if it had been wounded to death, and his wound of death was healed. And the whole world marveled after the beast.καὶ μίαν ἐκ τῶν κεφαλῶν αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ ἐσφαγμένην εἰς θάνατον. καὶ ἡ πληγὴ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ ἐθεραπεύθη, καὶ ἐθαύμασεν ὅλη ἡ γῆ ὀπίσω τοῦ θηρίου.
4And they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ δράκοντι τῷ δεδωκότι τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῷ θηρίῳ, καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ θηρίῳ λέγοντες, Τίς ὅμοιος τῷ θηρίῳ; τίς δυνατὸς πολεμῆσαι μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ;
5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy, and authority was given to him to make war for forty-two months.Καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα καὶ βλασφημίαν, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία πόλεμον ποιῆσαι μῆνας τεσσαράκοντα δύο.
6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His dwelling, and those who dwell in heaven.καὶ ἤνοιξε τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ εἰς βλασφημίαν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, βλασφημῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ, τοὺς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ σκηνοῦντας.
7And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given to him over every tribe, people, language, and nation.καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ νικῆσαι αὐτούς, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία ἐπὶ πᾶσαν φυλὴν καὶ λαὸν καὶ γλῶσσαν καὶ ἔθνος.
8And all those who dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose name is not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὧν οὐ γέγραπται τὸ ὄνομα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ ἀρνίου τοῦ ἐσφαγμένου ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.
9If anyone has an ear, let him hear.εἴ τις ἔχει οὖς, ἀκουσάτω.
10If anyone has captivity, he goes away; if anyone is with the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.Εἴ τις ἔχει αἰχμαλωσίαν, ὑπάγει· εἴ τις ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀποκτενεῖ, δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀποκτανθῆναι. ὧδέ ἐστιν ἡ ὑπομονὴ καὶ ἡ πίστις τῶν ἁγίων.
11Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon.Καὶ εἶδον ἄλλο θηρίον ἀναβαῖνον ἐκ τῆς γῆς, καὶ εἶχε κέρατα ὅμοια ἀρνίῳ, καὶ ἐλάλει ὡς δράκων.
12And he exercises all the authority of the first beast before him, and he causes the earth and those who dwell in it, to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ πρώτου θηρίου πᾶσαν ποιεῖ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐποίει τὴν γῆν καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ κατοικοῦντας ἵνα προσκυνήσωσι τὸ θηρίον τὸ πρῶτον, οὗ ἐθεραπεύθη ἡ πληγὴ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ.
13And he works great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth before men.καὶ ποιεῖ σημεῖα μεγάλα, καὶ πῦρ ἵνα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβαίνῃ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
14And he deceives my own people who dwell on the earth by the signs which were given to him to do before the beast, saying to those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and came to life.καὶ πλανᾷ τοὺς ἐμοὺς τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς διὰ τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θηρίου, λέγων τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ποιῆσαι εἰκόνα τῷ θηρίῳ, ὃ εἶχε πληγὴν καὶ ἔζησεν ἀπὸ τῆς μαχαίρας.
15And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ πνεῦμα δοῦναι τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ θηρίου, ἵνα καὶ λαλήσῃ ἡ εἰκὼν τοῦ θηρίου καὶ ποιήσῃ ὅσοι ἐὰν μὴ προσκυνήσωσι τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ θηρίου ἀποκτανθῶσι.
16And he causes all, small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, that they should receive marks on their right hand, or on their foreheads,καὶ ποιεῖ πάντας, τοὺς μικροὺς καὶ τοὺς μεγάλους, καὶ τοὺς πλουσίους καὶ τοὺς πτωχούς, καὶ τοὺς ἐλευθέρους καὶ τοὺς δούλους, ἵνα δώσωσιν αὐτοῖς χαράγματα ἐπὶ χειρὸς αὐτῶν τῆς δεξιᾶς ἢ ἐπὶ τὸ μέτωπον αὐτῶν,
17and that no one may be able to buy or sell except he that has the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name.καὶ ἵνα μή τις δύναται ἀγοράσαι ἢ πωλῆσαι εἰ μὴ ὁ ἔχων τὸ χάραγμα, τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θηρίου ἢ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ.
18Here is wisdom. Let him that has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man—his number is 666.ὧδε ἡ σοφία ἐστίν· ὁ ἔχων νοῦν ψηφισάτω τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ θηρίου, ἀριθμὸς γὰρ ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν· ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτοῦ χξϛʹ.
The Fathers on Revelation 13
Victorinus of Pettau comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Revelation 13:1Victorinus of Pettau1. “And I saw a beast rising up from the sea, like unto a leopard.”] This signifies the kingdom of that time of Antichrist, and the people mingled with the variety of nations.
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 13:2Victorinus of Pettau2. “His feet were as the feet of a bear.”] A strong and most unclean beast, the feet are to be understood as his leaders. “And his mouth as the mouth of a lion.”] That is, his mouth armed for blood is his bidding, and a tongue which will proceed to nothing else than to the shedding of blood.
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 13:18Victorinus of Pettau* * * * * * * * 18. “His number is the name of a man, and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”] As they have it reckoned from the Greek characters, they thus find it among many to be τειταν, for τειταν has this number, which the Gentiles call Sol and Phœbus; and it is reckoned in Greek thus: τ three hundred,...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 13:11Victorinus of Pettau11. “And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth.”] He is speaking of the great and false prophet who is to do signs, and portents, and falsehoods before him in the presence of men. “And he had two horns like a lamb—that is, the appearance within of a man—and he spoke like a dragon.”] But the devil speaks full...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 13:13Open Revelation 13 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Victorinus of Pettau13. “And he shall make fire come down from heaven in the sight of men.”] Yes (as I also have said), in the sight of men. Magicians do these things, by the aid of the apostate angels, even to this day. He shall cause also that a golden image of Antichrist shall be placed in the temple at Jerusalem, and that the...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →